S. 3289 - Assistance for Workers Harmed by Tariffs on Exports Act

Full Text

115th CONGRESS2d Session

S. 3289

To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to provide adjustment assistance to certain workers adversely
affected
by reduced exports resulting from tariffs imposed as retaliation for
United States tariff increases, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 26, 2018

Mrs. McCaskill introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend the Trade Act of 1974 to provide adjustment assistance to certain workers adversely
affected
by reduced exports resulting from tariffs imposed as retaliation for
United States tariff increases, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1.Short title.

This Act may be cited as the “Assistance for Workers Harmed by Tariffs on Exports Act”.

SEC. 2.Findings.

Congress finds the following:

(1) In recognition that trade policy can result in disparate and disruptive changes to the economy, the Trade Adjustment Assistance program was enacted to help workers adversely impacted by the trade policy decisions of the Federal Government.

(2) The Trump Administration has made clear that it intends to aggressively use Federal trade statutes, including section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. 1862), section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2411), and potentially the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), to increase tariffs on selected imports.

(3) Foreign countries affected by such tariff increases have, as of the date of the enactment of this Act, already raised tariffs on United States exports or have indicated that they intend to respond by raising tariffs on such exports.

(4) Increased tariffs on such exports threaten to reduce employment in affected sectors of the United States economy.

(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; or”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(C)(i) the sales or production, or both, of such firm have decreased absolutely;

“(ii) exports of articles produced or services supplied by such workers' firm have decreased;

“(iii) the decrease in exports described in clause (ii) resulted in whole or in part from duties imposed on such exports by a foreign country in response to duties imposed by the United States on exports from that country pursuant to an action taken under the authority of—